The Eulogy at the Funeral: Your Final Gift to Your Loved One

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In the wake of your loved one’s passing, it can be difficult to concentrate on anything. The prospect of collecting your thoughts and preparing words of remembrance to deliver in honor of your loved one at his or her funeral service can even be daunting. As you plan for and deliver a eulogy, the following pointers may keep additional stress from piling on and interfering with your ability to focus on preparing your final gift for your loved one.

Include Others Do not burden yourself with the sole task of preparing your loved one’s eulogy . Chat with friends and family members who may have helpful insights. Have someone who was close to the deceased proofread the draft you prepare and offer suggestions for improvement.

Identify a Theme As you sit down with your notes and prepare to write a first draft of your loved one’s obituary, look for related elements that you can tie together into an overarching theme. It may be a personality trait or a beloved pastime, something that your loved one would be proud or humored to be remembered by.

Be Mindful of Your Audience While preparing the eulogy, keep in mind the audience that will be present at the funeral ceremony. Keep your eulogy to a maximum length of no more than ten minutes, and incorporate appropriate humor and anecdotes that the audience will find engaging but not rude or insensitive.

Don’t Stress A eulogy is a tribute to your loved one. It will also help you and other funeral attendees make peace with his or her departure from this earth. Keep this in mind, and try not to be too hard on yourself as you prepare your loved one’s obituary. As long as the words come from your heart, they will be a touching gift to the friend or family member you have lost.

When you work with a helpful funeral services provider, you will be able to devote more time and energy to preparing a eulogy and focusing on other personal touches of your loved one’s funeral. To speak with an experienced funeral home representative in the Bay Area , call Chapel of the Chimes in Oakland at (510) 654-0123. Our historic building and scenic grounds make our cemetery a desirable final resting place.